Statement from ASH President Roy Silverstein, MD, on Administration’s Proposed Cuts to Public Health, Need to Raise the Caps

Published on: March 12, 2019

(WASHINGTON,
March 12, 2019) — Yesterday, President Donald Trump released a fiscal year 2020
budget request that proposes a 12 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS). This includes a $4.716 billion (12.1%) cut to the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s largest funder of biomedical
research, and a $750 million cut in funding to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC).

These
agencies play a vital role in supporting much of the world’s hematology-related
biomedical research and in supporting programs to prevent and control clotting,
bleeding, and other hematologic disorders.

2019 American
Society of Hematology (ASH) President Roy Silverstein of the Medical College of
Wisconsin issued the following statement:

“ASH is
deeply concerned that the president’s proposal to cut public health funding
will jeopardize existing research programs, potentially halt exploration into
new and promising avenues of study, and negatively affect our nation’s health.

NIH
investment in basic and clinical research over decades has led to what is now
an exciting time for hematology and public health. Cell and gene therapies are
promising treatments for a growing number of diseases, anti-cancer regimens are
better tolerated, and big data offers the opportunity to learn more than ever
before about our health. Slashing the budget will significantly endanger this
progress.

NIH
typically receives bipartisan support not only because it is important to the
health of our nation, but also because it is vital to our economic
sustainability. NIH funding creates jobs and supports communities. The agency
is responsible for over $60 billion in new economic activity on an annual
basis, supporting more than 300,000 jobs.

ASH
encourages members of Congress to come together and ultimately pass an NIH
budget of no less than $41.6 billion, an increase of $2.5 billion over current
funding. This budget would allow NIH to continue to support existing research,
including projects included in the Innovation Account established by the 21st
Century Cures Act, such as the Precision Medicine Initiative, and also support
new programs in promising fields. The Society also encourages Congress to
provide CDC with at least $7.8 billion in FY 2020.

In order
to allow for these increases in funding, Congress must first act quickly to pass
legislation to raise harmful budget caps that place strict spending limits on
non-defense discretionary programs such as NIH and CDC. These caps, put in
place in 2011, would prevent these programs from receiving spending increases.

Members of
Congress from both sides of the aisle have consistently united in support of
NIH, CDC, and other public health programs. ASH calls on appropriators to
continue to support biomedical innovation as they consider this proposal from
the White House.”

The
American Society of Hematology (ASH) (www.hematology.org) is the world’s largest
professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding,
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. For more
than 50 years, the Society has led the development of hematology as a
discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and
advocacy in hematology. ASH publishes Blood (www.bloodjournal.org), the most cited peer-reviewed
publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and online. In
2016, ASH launched Blood Advances (www.bloodadvances.org), an online, peer-reviewed
open-access journal.